Helicopter



Get. .2 1923.. 1,469,336

W. RATLlF-F HELICOPTER Filed June 18, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 InventorAttorney w. RATLIFF HELICOPTER .Filed June. 18, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Attorney Patent @et. 2, 1923.

WILLIAM RATLIFF, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

HELICOPTER.

Application filed June 18,1923. Serial No. 646,179.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM RATLIFF, acitizen of the United States of America, residing at Montreal, Provinceof Quebec,

5 Canada, have invented certain new and use-. ful Improvements inHelicopters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art 1 to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

The present invention pertains to novel improvements in flying machinestructures, particularly of the helicopter type.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a device ofthis character having a substantially vertical propeller shaft on whichis carried suitable elevating means Such means includes a plurality ofvanes which are normally inclined at an angle to the horizontal. Theinvention resides, in one respect, in a simple and efficient means forregulating the inclination of the blades independently and as desired.To this end, the

outerextremities of the vanes are each connected tothe intermediateportion of the shaft by means of a pair of guy wires. One wire of eachpair has a turn buckle inserted therein which may be operated to adjustthe elevation of the particular portion of the vane to which it isconnected. Consequently the inclination of that vane is adjusted.

Another feature of the invention is the mounting of a plurality of coneson the propeller shaft, these cones being upright and having their axesin line with the shaft. The

object of these cones is to decrease air resistance as will be obviousto those skilled in the art. A further object of the invention is toprovide a simple and efiicient bracing means for maintaining thepropeller shaft in upright position with relation tothe body of themachine. This structure includes a bridge a5 and various braces pointedout in detail below. I

The invention is fully disclosed in the following description and in theaccompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of thedevice; b gigure 2 is a longitudinal section of the Figure 3 is avertical transverse section thereof; Figure 4 is a plan view of thedevice;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical eleva- 31051 through the propellingmechanism; an l I Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 4.

hearing block 5 is placed in the bottom of 7 the body and a similarblock '6 is placed across the top thereof for supporting a counter shaft7. The lower end of this shaft carries a ring gear 8 meshing with abevel gear 9 secured. to the end Of'thfi power shaft at. f

A bridge 10 extends transversely across the body and is secured to thesides thereof as illustrated in Figure 3. Directly beneath the top 11 ofthe bridge, a bearing block 12 8 is secured to the sides of the body 1and supports the lower end of the propeller shaft 13 which asses throughthe top 11. The lower end 0 this shaft carries a gear 14 which mesheswith a pinion 15 on the counfor shaft 7. By' means of the gearing thusfar described, the propeller shaft is driven from the motive mechanism.

The upper portion of the propeller shaft carries a plurality of uprightcones 16, the axes of which are in lme with the shaft. These cones areeach supported upon a base 17 bolted to a clamp 18 secured to the shaft,

as clearly illustrated" in Figures 5 and 6. A plurality of wings 19extend radially outward from each base, the inner ends thereof beingpassed through the bottom of the corresponding cone. The wings aretiltedby means of wedges 20 being inserted between the inner ends thereof andthe top of the you base. These parts are assembled and locked togetherby means of bolt and nut devices 21 passed .therethrough.

The propeller shaft has fixed thereto a collar 22 resting on the top 11to prevent me downward slipping of the shaft, and this collar carries adisk 23. For properly supporting the outer ends of the wings, guy wires24: extend from the eriphery to the -disk angularly through t 0 lowervanes no bridge, as shown in and thence vertically, in the nature ofspacers 25, to the upper vanes. Nuts 26 are threaded on the spacerportions in engagement with the upper surfaces of the vanes forpreventing slipping of these members. Each set of vanes is supported bya pa1r of gu wires, one of which is fitted with a turn uckle 27. Thisdevice may be adjusted to vary the elevation of one of the outer cornersof a vane whereby the inclination of the corresponding set of vanes isaltered. lit will be apparent that by means of the turn buckles, theinclination of the vanesmay separately be adjusted as desired.

The propelling structure is maintained upright with relation to the bodyby means of braces 28 engaging opposite edges of the sides of the bridge10 and secured to the sides of the body, as shown in Figure 1. Provisionagainst lateral shifting of the shaft 13 with relation to the body isobtained by mountin braces 29 and 30 upon the blocks 6 an Mrespectively, these braces engaging the inner sides of the Figure 3.

ile a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, it is to be understood that various alterations in thedetails of construction may be made without departing from the spirit ofthe invention as indicated by the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, vvhat I claim as new anddesire to protect bx Letters Patent is l. helicopter comprising a bodyand a propeller shaft extending vertically thereill from, means forrotatin associated with said cones, andwedges inserted between the topsof said bases and said shaft, a plu--- rality of cones carried inupright position my hand,

incense rality of cones carried in upright position.

by said shaft and having their axes in line therewith, vanes havingtheir inner ends secured in the bottoms of said cones, a disk carried bythe shaft and disposed beneath the cones, a pair of guy wires extendingfrom said disk to each of said vanes, and a turn buckle inserted in oneof the guy wires of each pair.

3. A helicopter comprising a body and a propeller shaft extendingvertically therefrom, means for rotatin said shaft, a plurality of conescarried in upright position by said shaft and having their axes in linetherewith, vanes having their inner ends secured in the bottoms of saidcones, bases associated with said cones, wedges inserted between thetops of said bases and the inner ends of the vanes for tilting saidvanes, a disk carried by the shaft and disposed beneath the cones, apair of guy Wires extending from said disk to each of said vanes, and aturn buckle inserted in one of the guy wires of each pair. Y

d. A. helico ter comprisin a body, a bridge exten ing transverse ythereof, a bearing block supported in the body and beneath the top ofsaid bridge, a propeller shaft supported in said top and block, acounter shaft, means for driving said counter shalt, a drive connectionbetween the counter shaft and propeller shaft, braces mounted on thesides of the body and engaging the top of the bridge, and additionalbraces mounted on the bearing blocks and engaging the inner sides of thebridge.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set WILLIAM RATLIFF,

